USA, SC: Wide Awake Brewing Company already open in Summerville

Goose Creek resident Eric Roberts turned his passion of beer brewing into a business by opening the first distribution brewery in Berkeley County. Wide Awake Brewing Company is located at 1907 Varner St. in Summerville — just east of the Summerville Town limit, The Gazette reported on February 18.

Roberts, a retired Navy veteran, said he began brewing beer as a hobby in the 1990s. Later he started a brewing club as he continued to explore the step by step process of making a satisfying ale.

His five-barrel craft beer microbrewery is named after the area where its located, an unincorporated part of Berkeley County called Wide Awake.

“We brew everything, German beers, American, IPAs, sour beers, you name it,” Roberts said. “I have a chocolate coffee stout that is a killer.”

He serves eight beers on tap in his 600-square-foot tap room but with 16 beer faucets and two nitro taps, he said he’ll soon start offering more.

His passion for making beer is less about the end product and more about the creation process.

“I enjoy making beer better than I like drinking beer,” Roberts said.

The brewing process allows him to tap into his less prominent artistic side.

“I’m very technical, very rational and logical type of person and (brewing) is a chance for me to be creative,” Roberts said.

A large crowd showed up to support Roberts for the grand opening on Feb. 7. Among the enthusiasts were other brewers from the Lowcountry including Oak Road, Indigo Reef, Edmund’s Oast and Revelry Brewing.

“It was like the who’s who of Charleston craft beer,” Roberts said. “It was very humbling.”

Roberts said he was very happy with the turnout and appreciative of the immense support he received from other brewers.

17 February, 2019